Newcomer
by Dante de Troy
Summary: First installment of what is to be a series about three young people blessed with gifts and charged with a sacred duty. (COMPLETE!)
1. New Beginnings

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 1: New Beginnings  
  
Jane Byers looked sadly at the face of the sleeping boy in the seat next to her. It had all been very hard on Alex. First Nick's addiction, then Josh moving away, and now this move. She had just decided that Paola held too many memories for them, and that Smallville was just a nice a place to raise a boy. She was worried about him, as well. He'd become increasingly quiet around her, as if there was constantly something on his mind, something bothering him. She loved her son, and she could tell that there was definitely something wrong.  
  
The battered Ford Aerostar drove past the sign that proudly proclaimed "Welcome to Smallville! Meteor capital of the world." She looked around and saw that the main street was packed on this Sunday afternoon. Feeling the effects of the cross-state drive, she stopped in front of a shop called The Beanery and shut off the engine.  
  
"Alex. Wake up, babe. We're here." She patted him as she got out of the van.  
  
"Hrm…" The young man groaned sleepily, then stretched and opened his eyes, a hand flying to his face to shield it from the sun. Wearily, he opened his door and plopped his feet onto the street. He saw the young people gathered inside the shop and felt immediately self-conscious. This place is even more hickville than Paola was, he thought to himself. Most of the people he saw inside were dressed in your stereotype jeans, flannels, and work boots, while he sported skater jeans, his favorite Dragonball Z shirt, and well-battered Adidas Sambas.  
  
"Well, at least there's coffee." He pulled on his wool cap and trudged inside. As he entered he drew a few looks, but didn't notice as he ended up giving a "oh wow" look of his own to a girl sitting near the back with a laptop in her hands. Maybe this town won't be as bad as I thought, he mused, just as he ran into a large something and fell flat on his butt.  
  
"Sorry about that." A voice said as its owner reached a hand down to help him up. Alex took the hand and hopped up.  
  
"No prob, man."  
  
"You must be Alex."  
  
Slightly stunned, Alex took a good look at the guy in front of him. He was wearing a clean pair of jeans and a bright red shirt, with an unruly mop of black hair atop his head.  
  
"That's me, all right. How'd you know?"  
  
"I'm Clark Kent. My mom's heading up the not-so-secret welcoming committee that's meeting around back right now. I guess your family is going to be moving in right around our farm, that's how she knows."  
  
"Gotcha, gotcha. Well, cool. Anyway, I guess I'll, uh, see you at school then."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Alex looked around one more time, and saw Jane coming back towards him.  
  
"All right hon, I got my coffee. Let's get out to the new place and start unpacking."  
  
"Right. Nice meeting you Clark."  
  
Alex and Jane walked back out to their van, as Clark watched. Chloe momentarily looked up from her laptop and saw the contemplative look on her friend's face. She walked over to him and looked out the window to see the van pulling away.  
  
"What's up, Clark?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. I just met the new kid in town. Seems like a nice guy, but there's something odd about him."  
  
"Then he ought to fit in just fine." 


	2. I See Clouds Are White

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 2: "I see clouds are white…"  
  
"Okay, Alex. Where do we turn?"  
  
"Next left, mom."  
  
The van pulled into a small gravel driveway at the end of which was a quaint brick house. It hadn't been lived in for some time, which was apparent by the heavily flaking paint and the untrimmed lawn.  
  
"Looks like I've got my work cut out for me." Alex said.  
  
"Yep." Jane said with a quick smile. She stopped the van in the driveway. "I'm going to unload some stuff. Go ahead and look around."  
  
Alex stepped out of the car and looked around. Woods, thick with dark-wooded trees, surrounded the old farm. Alex tugged on a jacket and trudged off into the underbrush. He continued to walk until he found a clearing some way from the house. Kneeling in the clearing, he closed his eyes.  
  
All around him, the leaves on the ground began to swirl. Clouds moved above him and his eyelids fluttered to the rhythm of the wind. The wind whipped through his thick hair and the trees around him bowed as each gust hit them. He stood and stretched out his arms, and the wind seemed to come into him, spiraling and lifting him off the ground.  
  
"ALEX!!!" Jane's bellow shattered his concentration and he dropped to the ground with a thud.  
  
"COMING!!!"  
  
Rubbing his backside, he darted toward the farmhouse, the windswept clearing receding behind him.  
  
*******  
  
In his loft, Clark stepped back from his telescope. He'd seen the clouds suddenly come together, and he'd been about to warn Jonathan about a tornado, but then they'd suddenly gone back to normal.  
  
"Now that's weird, even for this town."  
  
"What's weird, Clark?" Martha Kent came up behind him.  
  
"Not sure. I just saw something weird over near where the Byers' moved into."  
  
"What do you mean by weird?"  
  
"I don't know. I've gotta run. I'm supposed to meet Chloe and Pete."  
  
He kissed her on the cheek and sped out the door, leaving a trail of dust behind him as he raced down the dirt road that led away from the house. 


	3. Odd Man In

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 3: Odd Man Out  
  
If there is one thing that every teenager dreads, it is Monday morning. For Alex Byers, it was a source of several different kinds of torment. The first was the incessant beeping of his alarm and then the voice that called up the stairs to his bedroom.  
  
"Alex! Wake up, hon! You're going to be late!"  
  
Groaning, Alex rolled over, momentarily forgetting that they had sold his waterbed before moving, and that he was on a standard twin bed instead. The thought flashed through his mind in the half-second that it took for gravity to snare him and land him on the carpet with a dull thud.  
  
"Alex! Are you all right?"  
  
"Fine. Just FINE!"  
  
Lurching to his feet, he yawned and went through his standard morning ritual. He showered, pounded down a quick breakfast, and sat down in his favorite chair for a quick nap before the bus arrived. Unfortunately for him, his timing was a bit off. As he snapped out of his light sleep, he saw the bulk of the yellow school bus roll by the house.  
  
"Well… damn." Alex let loose a heavy sigh. He looked over to the driveway and saw that Jane's van was already gone. He checked his watch. Seven thirty. If he hurried, he might be able to jog the six miles by a little after first bell… Grabbing his backpack and jacket, he stared out.  
  
He had been going for a good ten minutes before he started to get tired. By mile three he was coughing pretty hard. He suffered from mild asthma, which seemed to be picking right now to kick in. As he crouched by the side of the road, he happened to look up toward the cornfield in front of him. The barren field was suddenly streaked by what could have been a dust devil, which raced across the field and was gone.  
  
"Now that's weird…"  
  
As he was watching the streak disappear, he heard a vehicle pull up behind him. Jonathan Kent poked his head out of the truck's cab.  
  
"Little late for a morning jog, isn't it, son?"  
  
"Mr. Kent?" Alex slumped his shoulders, slightly embarrassed. "I missed the bus, ya see…"  
  
Jonathan chuckled and leaned over to open the passenger door. He'd met Jane Byers when she'd come out to look at the old farmstead. She had seemed to be a decent person and, from first impressions, her son seemed to be a good kid.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Clark's missed the bus his fair share of times. Hop in, if I bend the rules a bit, I think we can get you to school on time."  
  
  
  
Clark was waiting when the school bus pulled up, and Lana and Pete got off.  
  
"Hey, Pete, Lana!"  
  
The two walked over, Pete with his characteristic smile, and Clark with his characteristic awkwardness around Lana.  
  
"So, Clark," Pete started. "Hear that you've got some new neighbors. Don't suppose this new kid happens to be a decent ball player. I haven't had much luck finding a partner and you haven't played since that one game with Whitney."  
  
"I know, I know. I've just been busy with… things."  
  
Lana pointed to the curb and smiled.  
  
"Hey, isn't that your dad's truck, Clark?"  
  
"Yeah, and that's the new guy, Alex."  
  
Sure enough, Jonathan Kent's pickup had pulled up behind the school bus, and Alex Byers was climbing out. He waved to Jonathan as he grabbed his back and headed for the school.  
  
"Alex!" Clark shouted.  
  
There was a brief moment of surprise on Alex's face until he recognized Clark, smiled, and came his way.  
  
"Hey, Clark. How's it goin'?"  
  
"Just fine, just fine. Alex Byers, this is Pete Ross, Lana Lang, and Chloe Sullivan."  
  
Alex shook hands with Pete and Lana, then Chloe.  
  
"Chloe Sullivan? You write for the school paper, right?"  
  
A smile lit Chloe's face, tinged with surprise.  
  
"Yeah, I do. How'd you know?"  
  
"A couple friends of mine back home are really into journalism and stuff. They read your stuff online all the time. Seems like some pretty weird stuff happens around here, huh?"  
  
"You don't know the half of it, right Clark?" Chloe turned to Clark, whose face took on an uncomfortable look.  
  
"Right. Speaking of weird things, Alex, did you see those strange clouds over by your place the other day?"  
  
Alex's face clouded over momentarily, then cleared.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. That was pretty weird, wasn't it? Anyway, I don't want to be late for my first day of class, so I guess I'd better roll. Um, Chloe, maybe if you're not busy later, you could show me around the Torch offices. I know that it would make my friends jealous as hell."  
  
"No problem. Just let me know."  
  
"Sweet. I'll catch you guys later."  
  
Alex ran up the stairs and through the door as Clark watched, his eyes pinned to Alex like a hawk. Something was definitely up. He knew way more about those clouds than he was letting on, Clark mused.  
  
"Hey!" Chloe snapped Clark out of his thoughts and back to reality. "You've got that deep, thoughtful, Clark Kent look on your face again."  
  
"Sorry. We'd probably better get to class too. I'll see you guys this afternoon."  
  
Clark walked up the stairs and into the building, as Alex had. Chloe looked on and scratched her head. I'll never figure him out, she thought. At least that Alex guy seems pretty normal. God knows we can use someone ordinary here. 


	4. The Torch

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 4: Flames at The Torch  
  
There is a moment that every high schooler around the world waits for. It makes a right angle on the clock and goes by the name of 3:30. As that magical moment hit Smallville High, hundreds of students bolted for doors and ran for cars and busses.  
  
Alex gathered his books from under his desk as he headed out of the biology classroom. As he walked out the door, he found Chloe waiting for him.  
  
"How about it, new boy? Ready to check out my stomping grounds?"  
  
He gave her his best grin and gestured to the quickly emptying hall.  
  
"Absolutely. Lead on." He crooked his arm and bowed slightly. Chloe giggled and took it.  
  
"Why thank you, kind sir. Let's see, I suppose the first stop should definitely be the lovely Torch offices."  
  
"First stop?" Alex asked, feigning pure shock. "You don't just hole yourself up in front of your computer?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow and gave him a mock glare.  
  
"You ate lunch with Pete, didn't you?"  
  
"Guilty as charged. Sorry. I couldn't resist. He didn't want his chicken nuggets, so how could I stay away?"  
  
Chloe shook her head, looking irritated, but she was hiding a grin. This guy was pretty funny. She tightened her grip on his arm a bit more and opened the door to the Torch office.  
  
"So, here it is." She let go as he roamed the room, inevitably gravitating toward the picture-covered wall.  
  
"So, this is the legendary 'Wall of Weird'."  
  
Chloe moved up behind him and looked at some of the articles. Most of them were photocopies, since the former football coach had destroyed the originals during his fiery rampage.  
  
"Yep, that'd be it. Some pretty strange stuff goes down around here. You missed the more exciting things by a few weeks. An odd thing though, Clark seems to be involved in most of them these days."  
  
"Clark Kent? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to get himself into trouble?" It was on the last word that he turned to face her, and their eyes met for a moment. Chloe's heart skipped a beat as they locked gazes.  
  
"Um… I…" She turned away, unable to keep meeting his eyes. "I, ah, wanted to show you this. She flipped open the lid on her laptop, which was resting on the desk. She opened up a program and suddenly she and Alex were visible on the screen, apparently being recorded by an overhead camera. "I figured you could send your friends the link to this website and wave to 'em or something."  
  
"Aaw, Chloe, that's so cool! Thank you!" His face lit up. She could tell that his friends meant a lot to him.  
  
"So, these must be pretty good friends, huh?"  
  
He let out a long sigh and seemed to be looking off into the distance, as if looking back into the past.  
  
"Yeah they are. I mean, I've known Eeps… sorry. My friend Josh, we all call him Eeps. It's a crazy little thing that got picked up a couple years ago… but anyway, yeah, Eeps and I have known each other since fourth grade. He even stayed with me for a few months when his folks went out of town. That boy is like a brother to me. And Kels… she and Eeps dated in grade school, and we all got really tight this last summer. I miss 'em a lot. They're really cool guys."  
  
Chloe put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it a bit.  
  
"Don't worry. You're doing great here. Really. I think that you'll find that you and Smallville are going to get along just fine."  
  
"Ya think so?"  
  
"I know so." She grinned for a moment. "Well… you may actually be a little too normal for this town, truth be told."  
  
Alex shook his head. If only you knew… he thought.  
  
"Well, I can't help that. But who knows, maybe this town will weird- ify me."  
  
"I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. This town can grow on you."  
  
He looked up at her and their eyes met again.  
  
"I think it might already be growing on me."  
  
He had been sitting on the desk and stood up now. He wasn't very tall, only about 5'9, but to Chloe he suddenly seemed as if he were filling the room. Their eyes remained locked as they slowly got closer.  
  
"What… what do you mean…"  
  
"Just that… suddenly… Smallville looks a lot prettier."  
  
They were nose-to-nose now, and their heads slowly tilted…  
  
The door to the office slammed as Pete ran in.  
  
"Hey, Chloe…" He stopped in mid-sentence. "Um…"  
  
Chloe and Alex moved away from each other, both a little red in the face.  
  
"Well, Chloe… thanks for showing me around… I think I'm going to get going."  
  
Hurriedly gathering up his bag and sunglasses, Alex stopped in the door.  
  
"I don't suppose that there's any decent place to get coffee around here, is there?"  
  
Still a bit flustered, Chloe waved her hands as she tried to gather her thoughts and her laptop, simultaneously.  
  
"Um, yeah… there's the Beanery in on Main Street. If you wait, I can take you there."  
  
Alex nodded, still slightly ducking his head, as neither of them was exactly sure how much Pete had seen… or if there had been anything for Pete to have seen. A thought sprang into his mind, and he looked over to the shorter man.  
  
"Hey, Pete, you were saying that you're pretty into sports, right?"  
  
Pete smiled and tugged down on his shirt a bit.  
  
"Yeah, I played varsity this year in football, it was pretty nice. What about it?"  
  
"Well it's just that I was hoping to find someone to play ball with tomorrow afternoon and thought maybe you knew where I could find a game."  
  
Pete raised his fists in mock triumph.  
  
"Finally! I have been looking for a partner since Clark played that one game with me. Find me before class tomorrow and we'll talk. I'm late for track practice."  
  
Chloe spoke up at that point.  
  
"Pete, was there something you wanted when you burst in here?"  
  
"Oh yeah! I heard about this huge party from Clark. He didn't say he was going to go… but anyway… Lex is throwing a party for some reason. Clark said that we were invited so…"  
  
"And when is this supposed party occurring?"  
  
"This Saturday."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I'll think about it, Pete."  
  
Pete frowned, gave Alex a helpless look, then shrugged and left, leaving Alex and Chloe feeling very awkward, indeed. 


	5. The Beanery

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 5: The Beanery  
  
Clark shouldered a sack of beans as he followed Lana from the storeroom. It seemed as if he always got himself into these situations where he ended up doing things for her. Not that he minded, and it wasn't as if the bag of beans was any great trouble for him, but he sometimes felt as if he kept on giving and that there was no hope of any like feelings from Lana.  
  
The Beanery had been their favorite hangout for quite some time and, despite the re-opening of the Talon, they still stayed there during most of their free time.  
  
"So, Clark, what's with this new guy?"  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud, I really don't get why everyone is so carried away. I mean, he's been here for a day and he's the talk of the town already. I really don't think that there's THAT much to get excited over."  
  
"I guess we just don't get that many new people around, Clark, that's all."  
  
Lana and Clark moved out into the main room of the restored theater, bustling with the regular goers who frequented the place. The Talon was one of their favorite places, largely because it held so many memories for all of them. For Clark, it was because his heart never failed to warm a bit and skip a beat when he saw the gleaming smile that broke over Lana's face when she saw the room full of happy, smiling people. Only one person in the building was not smiling.  
  
"Clark. Lana."  
  
"Hey, Lex." Clark lowered the bag to the ground behind the counter, facing his friend. "You don't look too happy about something."  
  
"Just problems with some dealings at my new hotel."  
  
"Hotel?"  
  
"I found out that there was a great old place in a town a few hours from here. After the success of the Talon, I thought maybe I'd try my hand at restoration real estate in other places."  
  
"Does this mean we'll be seeing less of you around here."  
  
"I wouldn't count on it, Clark. So, will you be coming tonight?"  
  
"I don't know Lex, we do have school tomorrow."  
  
Lex chuckled slightly and looked down, shaking his head. A bit of a smile returned to his face.  
  
"Clark, you are far too much of a boy scout. Don't worry, it's not going to be a terribly late night. I've long since put those days behind me."  
  
"I guess I can make it, then."  
  
"Good to hear. Check with Lana and make sure that she'll be there too, I wouldn't want anyone to miss this."  
  
Lex turned and walked out of the building as Clark watched him go. At least it would be time that he wouldn't have to think about all the weird things that had been going on. Lex's was usually good for keeping his mind occupied, if nothing else. 


	6. A Little Pre-Party Reminiscing

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 6: A Little Pre-Party Reminiscing.  
  
Alex watched Pete go from the room, still somewhat holding his breath.  
  
"So…" He said, unsurely.  
  
"So…" Chloe shifted her feet a bit. Suddenly her head jerked up and she clasped her hands. "How about that cup of coffee?"  
  
"Sounds good." He held the door open for her as she walked out, breathing a small sigh of relief.  
  
Both Alex and Chloe were oddly silent as they walked down Main Street.  
  
I really wish I knew what to think about this. I can't believe that I almost kissed her… what was I thinking… I just met her. This place just has me so on edge, ready to jump… I guess that I'm willing to act on impulse a little too much. What is going on with me around here…  
  
Chloe was quiet as well, one hand tightly gripping her bag, her other clenching and unclenching as if she wasn't sure what to do with it. She didn't know where these feelings had come from. It was so unlike her to act like this. After all, she had been dealing with her feelings for Clark for so long… but Alex was just so different from anyone she'd met before. He seemed so in touch with things, with himself… Chloe! She said to herself. Stop, before you get yourself in trouble! But trouble looked so good in those loose jeans…  
  
Alex barely noticed what was going on with Chloe's body. Instead, he stopped and turned to her as they walked in front of the Beanery.  
  
"I think that I'm actually going to take a rain check on that coffee. I need to get home and help mom unpack. But… if I could get your number, I can call you tonight and we can still go to that party… that is, if you want to."  
  
Flustered, Chloe dug around in her bag for a pen, then for something to write on. She found the pen, but was at a loss for the paper. Alex pushed up the sleeve on his hooded sweatshirt and held his arm out for her. She grinned a bit as he tried to resist breaking out in a giggle as the felt- tip pen scratched over his sensitive forearm. He was ticklish…  
  
"So… yeah." She said. "Call me tonight?"  
  
"You bet." They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment and she darted her face toward his and planted a quick kiss on the side of cheek.  
  
"Tonight then." She walked into the Beanery just as Lex was walking out, and saw a very perplexed Clark standing there…  
  
  
  
Alex walked the rest of the way down Main Street, then headed out towards the country road that would take him home. He loved to talk, it gave him a feel for the place around him. He could feel the spring clouds overhead, as they passed in front of the sun and then away again, the warm afternoon sun warming his back, then the brisk breeze cooling it. He was invigorated by it. There was nothing quite like the clean, open air of the prairie. Open spaces. That was where it had begun…  
  
JULY 10, 2001 – PAOLA, KANSAS  
  
"Damn, man, I can't believe you're leaving." Alex said. Wiping his hands on the legs of his coveralls. "I don't know what we're going to do with you gone."  
  
"I know it, bud. I don't want to go, but this is just too good a chance for Dad to pass up. I just get to go along for the ride."  
  
Josh and Alex had been friends since the fourth grade. Despite any number of tiffs (including an abortive attempt to strangle each other) the two had remained close despite Josh's switching schools repeatedly through their career. They had thought High School was going to be golden days for them, but it looked like it was not to be. Josh's dad had an offer from a company in Texas, so the family had the house on the market. Despite that, though, the two sat in the middle of the largely empty room painting it.  
  
"Tell me again why we're finishing this room if you're moving…"  
  
"Dude, I've always wanted my own room, and I don't care if I only get it for two or three months, it's gonna be how I want it."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
They sat back and looked around. The room was almost done, the blue-gray walls glistening with still-wet paint.  
  
"So what do we do now? Watch it dry?"  
  
"Um… call someone? I got a new speakerphone."  
  
"Cool!"  
  
The two plunked the phone down in the middle of the room and dialed up their friend Kelsay, the third Musketeer of their little bunch. The three decided to hop on bikes and meet at their special spot in the woods. They'd not spent a lot of time together that summer, but the times that they spent at the spot were among the best they'd ever had.  
  
Alex and Josh rode their bikes hard as they could, but arrived to discover that Kels had already beaten the two of them there.  
  
"Hey there my boys!"  
  
The three hugged and sat down in a circle. Overhead storm clouds were threatening to open up on them. They sat and talked as they always did, completely losing track of time, and oblivious to the world around them. The skies grew darker and darker, and none of them noticed the sudden stillness in the air until things became eerily quiet all around.  
  
There was a hum in the air and a sudden charge, as if lightning was about to strike, and they all began to get uneasy. Josh's dog, Snow, was curled up by his feet, his ears laid back and a low growl in his throat. Kels was backed up against a tree, and Alex stood at the center of the small clearing. All around them, things began to grow brighter, but the sky seemed darker and darker. The air around them became unbearably bright, and they closed their eyes as the world around them seemed to erupt in light…  
  
Snow nudged Josh awake with his cold nose, wet with the rain that had begun to pour. Josh sat up and looked around. Alex and Kels were both just waking up, having been knocked unconscious where they stood by whatever had just happened. Very shaken, the trio split up and went home and had never talked about what had occurred since.  
  
PRESENT DAY – SMALLVILLE  
  
Alex walked, pondering those events of the previous summer. It had taken months before things had started to happen. Thunder when he got angry, sun when he was happy, wind when he ran, as if the weather was attuned to his mood. He'd read everything he could find on weather patterns, and it seemed as if he was slowly developing some ability to exercise control over them, at least on a very small scale. It had scared him at first, but then, as he came to realize what was happening to him, he embraced it. His mother's garden would never lack for rain, and it would always snow on Christmas… His only fear was that someone would discover what he was and truck him off for research somewhere. But for now, he reveled in what he was becoming. Especially today. His heart glowing with what was happening between he and Chloe (whatever it was that was happening) the sun was shining brightly and the wind was tousling his unruly hair. Life was good, and it was only going to get better here in Smallville.  
  
He walked through the door, and saw that Jane wasn't home yet, but the answering machine light was blinking.  
  
"This is a call for Alexander M. Byers. This is officer Gordon Waynewright with the Texas State Troopers. We're calling to see if you might have any information as to the whereabouts of your friend, Joshua D. Epstein. The kid has disappeared and his mother said that you were as likely as any to know where he might have gone. When you get this message, if you or your mother could give me a call, my number is 903-759-0818…"  
  
Alex dropped his bag in shock.  
  
"Eeps…"  
  
Outside, clouds began to gather… 


	7. Skywatching

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
(I apologize in advance for what I am about to do, since it is one of the most oft-criticized elements of the show, but I feel like it's the best way to incite some action)  
  
Chapter 7: Skywatching  
  
Storm clouds were swirling over the town of Smallville, the dark black clouds that have the thick, bearing-down look that they only have before a big storm. Though there was a mild sense of worry permeating the town, this was nothing that the locals hadn't handled before. All over town, shutters were being fastened down and storm doors rechecked.  
  
In one house, just outside the town proper, a young man by the name of David Browning sat tapping away at his keyboard. He was online with a member of the National Weather Bureau, discussing this sudden storm.  
  
Cloudnut05: So there were no warning signs?  
  
StormBabe77: No, none. I checked back with the logs for your area, and there were  
  
no neighboring systems, no patterns that would have pointed to anything developing in your area. Do you have anything in your records?  
  
Cloudnut05: There have been a couple of anomalies over the last week, but nothing huge.  
  
Stormbabe77: Like what?  
  
Cloudnut05: Well, I was looking at the sats from the website, and there was a weird little mini-system that developed for a few minutes, but it vanished after that. And there was a little weirdness with the barometer just before this storm.  
  
Stormbabe77: Wierdness?  
  
Cloudnut05: Yeah, it just dropped. It didn't slowly fall, it dropped.  
  
Stormbabe77: I'd call that weird, all right.  
  
Cloudnut05: Yea.  
  
Stormbabe77: Well, you should probably log off before the storm hits. Send me whatever your instruments log afterward and I'll see what I can see, okay?  
  
Cloudnut05: Cool. Ttyl.  
  
  
  
  
  
David disconnected from his IM system and climbed the stairs. In his room he had posters of tornados and wind gliders in electrical storms. He was president of the science club at school, and was trying to get principal Kwan to ok a Storm Watchers club, even though it seemed that he was the only one interested. Outside, the swirling black clouds made ominous patterns against the setting sun that strained to be seen, just over the horizon. From the black mass, David saw jagged lightning streak down and collide with his instrument array out behind the tool shed.  
  
"No!" David went tearing down the stairs and out the farmhouse door. The more sensitive instruments were nestled in what remained of a crater from the meteor shower, but that crater was now charred black where the lightning had struck.  
  
"Aw, no!!" The instruments, or what remained of them, were strewn about, some still smoking from the lightning's impact. He knelt in the crater, angrily looking around at the wreckage of his instruments. "Dammit!" He slapped a flat palm on the ground, not noticing the faint green glow of the soil. Looking up, he heard a rumble, and didn't have time to move as a second bolt of lightning lanced downward and knocked him out cold. A faint green glow enveloped him as it began to rain. 


	8. Momma Jane's Ever-Lovin', Bluy-eyed Boy

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 8: Momma Jane's Ever-Lovin', Blue-eyed Boy.  
  
Alex sat on the concrete stoop of the farmhouse, looking down at the dirt as Chloe's car pulled up the drive. Slapping himself in the head, he realized that he'd completely forgotten about the party in the stir of events from the past two hours. Chloe climbed out of the car, running through the rain up to the front stoop.  
  
"Hey, you don't look like you're ready. Am I early?"  
  
"Um, no… Well… come in for a sec."  
  
Alex pushed the door open and ushered Chloe inside. The living room and kitchen area were still a bit of a mess, mostly because neither Alex or Jane had found the time to clean yet. Jane was sitting in an armchair, talking on the phone.  
  
"No, Lisa, we haven't heard anything yet. I told officer Waynewright that we'd call both you and him if anything came up. He didn't leave any sign of where he was going?"  
  
Chloe could see the tension on the faces of both Alex and his mother. What was going on?  
  
"Alex… what's happening?"  
  
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to go to the party tonight… we just got a call from the police in Texas. My best friend is missing and they thought he might be headed here. I think I should probably just wait here and see if anything comes down."  
  
"Nonsense." Jane's sharp voice hit them both like a whip crack. "Go downstairs and get ready."  
  
"But mom…"  
  
"No buts." Her voice softened and she put a hand to his face. "There's nothing you can do, babe. If he's coming here, then he's coming here. I'm not going anywhere. It won't do you or Josh any good for you to stay here worrying. Go out, try and enjoy the night."  
  
Alex nodded silently and turned to Chloe.  
  
"I guess I'll be back in a few minutes, I should probably go change clothes and maybe clean up a bit."  
  
"Okay, I'm not going anywhere."  
  
Chloe shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Alex disappeared down the hall. She was suddenly very intensely aware of Jane's presence. When she looked at the slightly graying woman standing in the kitchen, she was struck by the sheer force of her personality.  
  
"So, Chloe, just out of curiosity, how exactly do you know a man like Lex Luthor well enough to be invited to one of his parties?"  
  
"My best friend saved his life earlier this year, and since then, events have just sort of brought us together a number of times."  
  
"I see." She looked over at Chloe and recognized the anxiety present in the young girl. "Don't worry, Chloe, I won't bite. Come on in the kitchen and sit, you don't want to be standing the whole time the boy's getting ready."  
  
Chloe cleared herself a space at the chaotic kitchen table and plopped down into the chair.  
  
"I was very happy when Alex told me he was going out. He's never had difficulty making friends, but I was very glad that he got started quickly here."  
  
"Well, he's a neat guy."  
  
A smile crossed Jane's face. "I like to think so." She went about making dinner in the kitchen while she talked to Chloe. "I've actually heard of you, believe it or not."  
  
"Let me guess, the infamous Chloe Sullivan and her wall of weird?"  
  
Jane laughed. "Well, that, of course, but I used to work in chemical shipping, which includes industrial lots of the chemicals used in printing and treating newspapers. I sent a lot or orders to the Planet, in Metropolis, and word is that you're in the running for the internship this summer."  
  
"Wow! You remember little things like that?"  
  
"It comes in handy when I meet people."  
  
"I'll bet! So, what are you doing in Smallville?"  
  
"Well, I read up on what LuthorCorp is doing here, and I thought that they might be able to use me. I pulled a few strings and got an appointment for an interview a few weeks back… and the rest is history."  
  
"So you're working for LuthorCorp?" A light bulb went off in Chloe's head. "Then you must know my…"  
  
"Your dad? Yes, I do. We were in school together when we were younger. We stayed in touch a little over the years, and he always thought it was a shame that I ended up in shipping when all of our classmates were in research, so he talked to Lex Luthor and got me my spot on his teams here at good ol' plant number three."  
  
Chloe shook her head at the seemingly random set of connections.  
  
"Small world, huh?"  
  
"Well, this IS Smallville."  
  
"Thanks for reminding me."  
  
"Ready!"  
  
Alex emerged from the hall, and Chloe caught her breath at the change. Gone were the baggy jeans and ski-cap, replaced with a neatly pressed pair of black slacks, a loose-fitting gray shirt, and a black sport coat. The only remnant of the unkempt schoolboy was the roguishly tousled hair atop his head.  
  
"Well, you certainly do clean up well."  
  
"I do my best."  
  
Jane went over and brushed the shoulder of his jacket, against mild protestations that Chloe could see were more for the sake of argument than actual protest.  
  
"Call me if you're going to be out super-late."  
  
"All right, mom. Love you."  
  
"Love you too, have a good time."  
  
They exchanged a kiss on the cheek and Alex moved toward the door.  
  
"Chloe, it was good to meet you. Tell you dad hi for me, and you're welcome here any time."  
  
"Thanks, Ms. Byers."  
  
"Call me Jane."  
  
"All right. Come on Alex, we don't want to be too late."  
  
They rushed out the door, with Jane's warm smile at their backs. As the door shut, the smile melted. She remembered that Gabe Sullivan had always been a bit too curious for his own good, and it had apparently been passed on to his daughter. She'd known for months that something was troubling Alex, that something was different, and it had been getting worse since Josh had moved to Texas. Now that he was missing… she hoped that Chloe wouldn't be caught in the path of whatever was coming.  
  
***  
  
In a thicket several hours away from Smallville, an old man sat cross- legged amidst ancient totems and fresh carvings. Smaller versions of the new carvings were laid out at his feet. He moved one, a carving of a boy and a beast, closer to one of the others.  
  
"They move. They unite. Their strength will frighten and free." He listened to the wind and picked up a piece of smooth wood from the pile next to him and began to carve. "They will face their first test without the third, and he will temper them. They face the storm." 


	9. Interims

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 9: Interims  
  
"The national weather service has issued a severe storm warning in effect until at least ten o'clock tomorrow morning. The affected areas include Lowell County, Schuster County, and Ordway. Winds can be expected to gust at close to sixty miles per hour, with heavy rains and thick cloud cover throughout the night."  
  
Chloe turned off the radio and tightened her grip on the steering wheel as the winds whipped around the car. She was also doing her best to keep her eyes on the road and not on the boy to her right.  
  
"So. what happened with your friend?"  
  
Alex shook his head. "They really don't know. He just up and disappeared, apparently. I hope he's all right."  
  
"Well, if its any help, it seems like no matter how bad things get around here, they usually turn out for the best."  
  
"I sure hope so."  
  
Ahead was the Luthor Castle. Alex's eyes went a bit wider as they approached.  
  
"Your friend lives. there?"  
  
"My friend, Clark's friend. your mom's boss. better do as I tell ya." She grinned impishly at him as they pulled into the driveway. He came around to her door with an umbrella and they rushed inside, where they were promptly greeted by their host. Alex restrained his heartbeat as he found himself face to face with Lex Luthor.  
  
"Chloe," Lex said, his handsome face bearing a satisfied smile. "A pleasure, as always. And who, may I ask, is your escort?"  
  
"Lex, this is Alex Byers, he and his mother just moved in."  
  
"Oh yes, Jane Byers' son."  
  
"You know my mother?" Alex asked, incredulously.  
  
"By reputation only. I wouldn't have approved Gabe's request if I didn't have confidence in his pick. Plus, I make it my business to know everything that goes on in my plant."  
  
"Well, that's good to know."  
  
"Don't worry Alex. Your mom is in good hands with LuthorCorp. Now, go enjoy the party."  
  
Just apart from the main entryway, Clark watched Alex and Chloe as they moved toward where the party was thickest. Alex seemed like a nice enough guy, but he was definitely hiding something. Not that Clark was exactly in the position to criticize those who held secrets, but around Smallville, those secrets tended to end up badly for anyone around the people who kept them. He'd resisted the temptation to use his x-ray vision on the newcomer, and his resolve to let the other man's privacy remain intact was still firm. IT was hard though. Chloe was probably his best friend, and here she was getting all cozy with someone whom she'd known for barely two days. That and all the recent weird weather occurrences had left him a bit on edge.  
  
Alex retrieved two glasses of punch from the long table just inside the hall and handed one to Chloe.  
  
"I don't know, Chloe. This is definitely not where I expected to be when I got up this morning."  
  
"Are you complaining?" She asked, impishly raising one eyebrow.  
  
He chuckled a bit. "Absolutely not."  
  
"Good."  
  
  
  
David lay face down in the slowly pooling water, the seared ground around him rapidly turning to churned mud in the downpour. Lightning cracked overhead, and he suddenly rolled over, a sharp breath passing his lips. Slowly regaining control of his faculties, he held up his hand, massaging the outline of the rock he'd rested his hand on just before the lighting strike.  
  
"Weird." Now fully conscious, he sat up and looked again at the wreckage of his expensive weather monitoring equipment. Again, anger boiled up within him as he walked over to the twisted metal remains.  
  
"Damn! Damn, damn DAMN!" At the last outburst, he unleashed a savage kick and, simultaneously, the sky was torn with jagged bolts of lightning and a deafening crack of thunder. Coming unhinged, the enraged youth howled at the skies, his fury matched by the wind that rose around him, tearing leaves from trees, but leaving him unmoved. The howling became something else, a laugh that rose with the wind and whipped around the boy, carried off into the wind.  
  
  
  
At the Luthor manor, Alex and Chloe had been happily dancing, enjoying the dull warmth that comes with the first stages of romance, when Alex had suddenly collapsed at the same time the lightning had struck.  
  
"What happened to him?" Lex stood in the entryway with Clark as the two looked on at Chloe, tending to her escort, who was now sitting in one of the easy chairs, recovering.  
  
"I don't know. One second he was fine, then there was lightning and he hit the floor."  
  
"Very strange."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"Well, it looks like he's going to be all right. I think we might want to put an early end to this evening. I doubt your folks would want you out too late in this weather."  
  
"You're probably right."  
  
In the main room, Chloe mopped Alex's forehead with a damp cloth. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned, exposing the pale skin beneath.  
  
"Want to tell me what happened in there?" She asked.  
  
"I. I don't know. I just felt. sapped. I guess. Drained."  
  
"And you have no idea why?"  
  
"None."  
  
"Weird."  
  
"Do I get to go down on the wall yet?"  
  
"Not unless it was you sapping other, paleface."  
  
"Darn. I guess that makes tonight a complete bust."  
  
"Well. not a complete bust."  
  
Chloe leaned in, Alex's eyes going a bit wider for a second as she moved closer to him, then he brought his hand up to her cheek.  
  
"Hey guys, Lex said." Clark stopped as he saw what he'd interrupted, and Chloe jumped back, her face rapidly taking on an increasing resemblance to a cherry. "Um. Lex said that he's gonna make it an early night. I thought that I'd offer to drive Alex home."  
  
"Oh. um, sure." She looked back at Alex. "You don't mind, do you? My dad is probably worried as it is."  
  
"No, it's fine. I'll be fine. Probably a good idea, too."  
  
"Yeah, a good idea. You're tired."  
  
"Yeah. Tired."  
  
Minutes later, cars pulled away from the Luthor manor and drove off in to the driving rain. 


	10. Calm before The Storm

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 10: Calm before The Storm  
  
"This storm is getting pretty crazy here, Clark."  
  
"Yeah, I've noticed."  
  
The Kent pickup was just barely staying on the road as sixty mile per hour winds whipped it from side to side. The ditches on the sides of the road were overflowing and spilling up onto the road. In the seat next to Clark, Alex was slumped in his seat, growing paler by the moment.  
  
"Hey, are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, I just feel kinda. I dunno."  
  
Outside, lighting lit up the sky and Alex winced in pain. It seemed like the worse the weather got, the more his condition degraded, and Clark couldn't figure out why. A rolling thunder shook the truck as another gust of wind hit hard, sending them careening off the road.  
  
Alex shoved the door open and stumbled out into the field that the truck had come to rest in.  
  
"Something's wrong! This isn't natural."  
  
"What do you mean, not natural? How do you know?"  
  
"I can feel it."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I just can. And this is wrong. It's all wrong. Someone or something is doing this."  
  
"Is there anything you can do?"  
  
Alex looked off into the biting rain, focusing on what seemed to be the focus of the lightning.  
  
"I don't know. But I have to try."  
  
"Why you?"  
  
"I think it's why I'm here."  
  
Something about that resonated within Clark. That sense of purpose, the sense of being able to do something that onl you could do.  
  
"I can help."  
  
"No. This is mine to do. Go home, Clark."  
  
Alex focused within himself and tried to find the strength within. He could truly feel the wrongness of the weather inside him. It was like a burning that was eating away at the core of him. Calming himself, Alex visualized the burning, he called up an image of the wrongness and slowly began to chip away at it. As he did, he could feel himself growing stronger. Just barely aware of what was going on in the world around him, he didn't notice that as he righted things, the rain was easing up, the wind was stopping, and the clouds had begun to part.  
  
Clark scanned Alex again with his x-ray vision and still found nothing wrong with him, but everywhere there was a charge in the air as Alex stood at the center of an ever-increasing calm in the storm. Whatever he was doing, it was working. There was a crackle of energy in the air and suddenly the storm broke. The clouds split and vanished, stars becoming visible in the night sky. The rain had stopped and the wind had become nothing more than the typical night breeze across the plain.  
  
With sweat dripping on his forehead, Alex dropped to a knee on the ground, a slight smile on his face.  
  
"It's over. I think."  
  
"What do you mean? It looks over to me."  
  
"It's over for now. But we still don't know what caused it."  
  
"We? So it's we now?"  
  
Alex looked up, his blue eyes fixing on Clark's.  
  
"Look. Clark. You know my secret now. I'm not quite sure what it is yet, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this. I'm pretty sure that they'd take me away from my mom."  
  
Clark's throat tightened as he heard so many of his own fears being echoed from the shorter man.  
  
"No one'll hear it from me. I promise."  
  
"Thank you. Now um, maybe we should push your truck out of the ditch." 


	11. Denoument

Newcomer  
  
By Dante  
  
(Disclaimer: Smallville and all related characters are property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Alex Byers is not my creation, but my modification of his life is. Apologies to the true Ale X, you know I love ya, man!)  
  
Chapter 11: Denoument  
  
David snarled and tried to make the power surge again. It would not come. It was as if he was being blocked, somehow, but some force stronger than his own. All his life he had watched the weather, watched that indomitable force that had shaped the Earth for millennia. Then, suddenly, he had been a part of it. He could feel its power surging inside him, responding to whatever he desired. And then it was gone. Torn from his grasp.  
  
"Why?!" He cried at the sky. "Why did you give it and take it away?"  
  
"It was never yours to possess, David Browning." A quiet voice spoke from behind him, full of age-old wisdom. David spun and saw the hunched-over figure of an old man, firmly grasping a walking stick, with a small pouch attached to his belt.  
  
"Who are you and what in the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"You are not that windrider, David Browning. The skies are not yours to command, as they are no man's. They are his, as they were always meant to be. You were lent a gift, for a time, but only to force him to accept his destiny."  
  
"You mean someone else has my power?"  
  
"Foolish boy. I have said. It is not yours. It is of the Earth. Your tainted mastery was born of the stars and it's foreign magic is now banished."  
  
"Get out of here, old man, before I throw you out." David turned and started toward the house.  
  
"Be warned, David Browning. Do not seek to reclaim that which you were never meant to possess. Its pursuit will bring only pain."  
  
"Get out!"  
  
David whirled in anger, ready to strike the old man, but he was gone.  
  
"Well, this is my stop." Alex shut the truck door behind him as his feet hit the gravel.  
  
"I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Alex pushed the door open and walked quietly into Jane's bedroom.  
  
"Mom. I'm home." He whispered, not wanting to stir her too far from sleep.  
  
"All right. Night, baby."  
  
"Love you, mom."  
  
"Love you too."  
  
He walked down the hall to his room and lay on his bed, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling. He felt at peace, for some reason, as if he were finally right. On the bedside table was a small frame with a picture. He reached over and looked at it. It was the three of them; Josh, Kelsay, and himself. They all looked so happy. And now they were separated, each a piece of a whole.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Eeps. Be careful."  
  
He set the picture down and closed his eyes, drifting off into a calm, peaceful sleep. 


End file.
